NEARLY 200 disappointed youngsters turned up for school yesterday to learn that a min-paralympics event had been called off.

Organisers of Durham's first Inclusive Sports Festival decided to cancel early yesterday morning after a downpour at the Shildon Stadium seemed to confirm a poor outlook from weather forecasters.

Children were due to travel from special schools all over County Durham, and many were looking forward to their first experience of competitive sport.

They had trained for the event with staff from Durham County Council's PE and sports development unit, who had devised competitions to suit the youngsters' skills.

Now they will have to wait until after the summer holidays to get on the track.

Gary Cooper, sports development officer for Sedgefield Borough Council, said: "At 7am there was a downpour. All the weather forecasts were poor, and at 8am we decided to cancel.

"It was difficult because we knew the children would be disappointed, but we could not risk them being out in the wet."